Hawaii Senate Bill SB1362

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/23/25
• Refer: 1/27/25

Caption

Relating To Funding Adjustments For State Programs.

Summary

SB1362 is a budget measure that makes emergency appropriations and related funding adjustments for state programs in fiscal year 2024-2025. The bill explains that earlier appropriations acts had included a proviso allowing departments to transfer funds between programs with notice to the legislature, but that proviso was later repealed and not restored. According to the bill, the loss of that transfer authority has created a funding emergency because departments have less flexibility to respond to changing conditions and operating shortfalls. To address that problem, the bill appropriates additional general funds as emergency appropriations for quarter 3 operating shortfalls in existing programs and adjusts funding levels for various programs to better match anticipated activity. The bill states that these changes are budget neutral, meaning the added emergency funding is offset by commensurate reductions elsewhere. It is also presented as a governor-requested measure for immediate passage and would take effect upon approval.

Impact

SB1362 would amend the state’s fiscal year 2024-2025 appropriations framework by revising Act 164 (2023), as amended by Act 230 (2024), to provide emergency funding and reallocate money among programs. Its practical effect is to give departments additional budgetary relief for operating shortfalls while keeping overall spending neutral through offsetting reductions. The bill affects state departments and programs that rely on general fund appropriations and previously benefited from the now-eliminated transfer proviso.

Sentiment

The available context suggests generally supportive or urgent sentiment around the bill, as it is framed as a governor-requested emergency measure intended to solve a near-term budget management problem. The bill’s language emphasizes immediacy, fiscal necessity, and budget neutrality, which indicates a pragmatic response rather than a controversial policy shift. No committee testimony or recorded votes are provided, so there is no evidence in the supplied materials of formal opposition or divided sentiment.

Contention

The main point of contention identified in the bill text is the elimination of the prior transfer proviso that had allowed departments to move funds between programs with legislative notice. The bill attributes the current funding emergency to that repeal and the failure to reinstate the proviso in later appropriations acts. Any disagreement would likely center on whether departments should have broader transfer flexibility versus tighter legislative control over program-level appropriations, but no specific opponents or competing arguments are included in the provided record.